Meet Melanie McFarlane, Author of The Descendants and the Missing Guardian

I am a passionate writer of other-wordly adventures and a supporter of all things creative. With my husband at my side and our two little girls in tow, we travel the universe to save the world as we know it. Afterwards, we go home and roast hotdogs on the fire while we wait for the super moon to show it's face.

BBB: What inspired you to become an author?MM: When I was in grade school, the only real stories for girls were Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, and Anne of Green Gables. My first book was Crystal of Crystal Creek (very imaginative - haha) and in it the girl found a fairy. I've always loved fantasy and sci-fi!

BBB: How did you come up with the idea for your book, The Descendants and the Missing Guardian?MM: I was off work with my first baby, and I had finished reading The Spiderwick Chronicles. I kept thinking, hey, that's something me and my brothers could do (as in being the siblings in the story). Suddenly Seth was born, based on my youngest brother, but I only wrote chapter one. Four years later I came across that chapter, when I was off with my second baby. Within that year, I finished what was then called "The Descendants", but once I finished I realized it had the potential to be a series. I broke down book one, and made it into half of book two, and never looked back.

BBB: Tell us about your main character(s).MM: Seth, Marin, and Jared lost their father, one year ago to a farming accident. The story is told from Seth's POV, and he's a quick-tempered pre-teen who feels like his entire family has moved past him. Marin and Jared are his older sibling and at fifteen years old, and are twins. Marin can act like the "boss" which really gets under Seth's skin, and Jared can sometimes be a bit of a know-it-all.

BBB: What are you currently working on?MM: I'm half finished book two in The Descendants series, called "The Stone of Madidus". But, I can never just write one book at a time. I just finished a children's chapter book, called "How to Hunt an Erdgeist" which I've sent out to a publisher for review. On top of that I have a young adult dystopian series, that is slotted for Fall 2016 with Month9Books, as well as a young adult fantasy series that I should have book one completed in by the end of this year. I basically keep the books open, and when inspiration hits me on one I go crazy for days, working on it. I love it!

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?MM:You can find out more on my website at www.melaniemcfarlane.com, my facebook page www.facebook.com/mcfarlanebooks, or twitter @McFarlaneBooks. I love answering questions, so contact me via my website anytime! I also run contests and more!